Device for use in the stropping of safety razor blades



June 24, 1952 J 2,601,523

. DEVICE FOR USE IN THE STROPPING OF SAFETY RAZOR BLADES Filed June 13, 1949 mmvma.

surface being knurled Patented June 24, 1952 DEVICE FOR USE IN THE STROPPING OF SAFETY RAZOR BLADES John J. Hill, South Pasadena, Calif. Application June 13, 1949, Serial No. 98,712

My invention pertains to and has for a purpose the provision of a device by which a safetyrazor blade can be immovably held therein and manipulated over the surface of a strop in the orthodox manner of an old fashioned razor, to effectively strop the blade and thus restore the original keen edge so that by such stropping when required, the blade can be made to last indefinitely.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide such a device which is capable of holding and permitting stropping manipulations of either a double edge blade or a single edge blade, and in the instance of the former to allow reversing of the blade therein so that both edges thereof can be stropped.

structurally my device is characterized by its simplicity and low cost of manufacture, and functionally by the easy manner in which a blade can be inserted and firmly clamped therein for a stropping operation, and with equal ease removed from the device after strapping.

Additionally, my device afiords means for so securin a blade therein that the cutting edge is held in a fixed position of uniform projection from the device to prevent shifting thereof during stropping and thus insuring uniform strop- Dmg.

The structure of the device is such that when applied to a strop it allows ready turning thereof to present first one side of the blades cutting edge and then the other to the strop, and yet holds the blade at an angle to the strop such as to insure effective stropping of its cutting edge.

I will describe only one form of device for use in the stropping of safety razor blades embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showin in perspective one form of device embodying my invention in stropping position on a strop.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section, of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevational view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the blade holding means of the device extended from the handle and in open position to permit the insertion or removal of a safety razor blade.

Having specific reference to the drawings, my device in its present embodiment comprises a handle l5, preferably made of spring steel and of cylindrical form in cross-section, its exterior as shown to provide a secure grip when using the device, and one end 2 Claims. (Cl. 30330) of the handle closed by a wall It. Exteriorly the handle is formed with a tapered projection II the edge of which is fluted as at I8. This projection provides a thumb rest when the hand of the user is holding the device in a stropping operation, as is illustrated in Fig. 1.

The handle I5 being of cylindrical form, its forward portion provides a barrel IS in which a blade holder or receiving means is adapted to be received to position a blade laterally on the sleeve so that its cutting edge is exposed for stropping. To receive this holder the barriel is formed with a slot 20 which extends longitudinally thereof at a point aligned with the projection I1, and terminatin at its inner end at the wide end of the projection.

The blade holder comprises a pair of platelike members or jaws 2| and 2 la which, to accommodate therebetween the reinforced edge 22 of a single edge safety razor blade 23 are outstruck at identical points on their inner faces to form rectangular recesses or depressions 24. Beyond these recesses 24 the members or jaws 2| and 2|a are curved outwardly in opposite directions to provide semicircular portions which, when the members are in closed position, act to form a sleeve 25 the external diameter of which is such that the sleeve can be extended into the barrel l9 and retained therein by frictional fit.

Portions of the two part sleeve 25 are extended and bent upon themselvs to form interfitting tubular elements 26 through which a pintl 21 is extended for permanently and hingedly connecting the members or jaws 2| and 2|a. Such connection allows the members to occupy the open position shown in Fig. 6 to permit placing a razor blade therebetween, and the closed position shown in Fig. 4 in which the blade is adapted to be clamped, as will be further described hereinafter.

Tongues 28 are formed on the inner ends of the members 2| and at corresponding points so that when the members are in closed position the two'tongues are brought into side to side relation with each other so that they may be extended into a recess 29 formed in the wide end of the projection I7.

Of the two blade holding members the member 2|a is a fixed member, while the member 2| is a movable one in that it is hingedly connected to the fixed member by the elements 26 and the pintle 21. The member 2|a is fixed in the sense that it does not rotate in relation to the barrel I9, but only moves axially thereof to move into or out of the barrel.

To prevent disconnection of the member 2|a from the barrel l9 incident to opening the member 2|a to insert or remove a blade, it is made integral with a tube 30 which extends from and is actually a continuation of that half of the sleeve 25 on the member 2|a. In other words,

.sible 3 the member, the tube 30, and the sleeve half together with the elements 26 can all be made from one-piece of metal. V

The tube 30 is extendable into the barrel l9 and has a frictional fit therein to be held against accidental withdrawal therefrom, and yet it can be moved longitudinally therein to occupy the extended position shown in Fig. 6 or the retracted position shown in Fig. 2. Preferably the open end of the barrel I9 is beveled as at I90. to facilitate the insertion of the tube thereinto.

The tube 30 as initially extended into the barrle |9 is in such a position circumferentially that the ends of the members 2| and 2|a are aligned with the slot 20 so that the two can be extended into the slot and the tube into the barrel eitherto the position shown in Fig. 6 or the position shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood that once the tube 30 is inserted it is never completely withdrawn from the barrel whenused, nor is its circumferential position disturbed.

. To mount a blade in my device incident to stropping thereof, the tube 3% is pulled part way outward of the barrel IQ until the holding members 2| and 2|a. arefree of the barrel, and the tongues 28 withdrawn from the recess 29. This extendedposition of the blade holder .is shown in Fig. 6 wherein the movable member 2| is free to be swung to open position allowing a blade I- to be placed on the member 2|a. and then the member 2| closed to confine the blade between the two. When mounting a single edge blade between the members the reinforced edge 22 is received in the depressions cutting edge 23a uniformly projected from the free longitudinal edges of the members.

The member 2| having been closed on the fixed member 2|a, as described, the holder with the tube 30 can be pushed to the retracted position shown in Fig. 2, the slot 20 receiving the members and the recess 29 receiving the tongues 28.

The outside diameter of the sleeve 25 may slightly exceed the normal internal diameter of the barrel |9 so that when the sleeve is inserted the barrel is slightly expanded to exert a pressure on the sleeve thus insuring frictional retention of the sleeve in the barrel and the secure clamping of the blade between the members 2| and .2|a. The tongues 28 in extending into the recess 29 also secure the member 2| against posseparation, thus providing additional means for securing the blade against movement between the members.

With the parts of the device so assembled the '1 blade 23 is fixedly held between the vmmebers 2| .and 2|a and in a plane extending radially or laterally from the barrel t9 so that the cutting edge 23a is exposed uniformly along its length from between the membersand on a line paralleling the longitudinal axis of the barrel.

In .the use of thedevice the handle is gripped in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 with the thumb reposing on the projection H, and the barrel resting on and extending transversely of a conventional strop S. Due to the diameter of the barrel i9 the cutting edge 23a. engages the surface of the strop at such an angle as to effect the required stropping of such edge. When the device is moved lengthwise on the strop first in one direction and then the other as when stropping, turning of the blade to present first one side of its cutting edge and then the other to the surface of the strep is facilitated 24 to position the by the round form of the exterior of the barrel l9 and without any injury to the surface of the strop.

To remove the blade after stropping it is only necessary to push the members 2| and 2|a forwardly until they as well as the tongues 28 clear the barrel l9 when the member 2| can be swung to open position and the blade removed. As illustrated in Fig. 6, in this position of the members 2| and 2 la the tube 30 still remains within the barrel and in its original circumferential position so that upon placing another blade on the member 2|a. and then closing the member 2| thereon, the holder can be pushed back to the position shown in Fig. 2, to clamp the blade on the handle for a stropping operation.

My device is also useable for the stropping of two edge safety razor blades, and such a blade may be positioned between the members 2| and 2 |a. and effectively held against possible shifting in a stropping operation. Once one edge of the blade is stropped the position of the blade between the members can be reversed to expose the other edge for stropping, as will be understood.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of device embodying my invention for use in the stropping of safety razor blades, it is to be understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention and the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for use in the stropping of safety razor blades, including: a barrel having a slot extending longitudinally therein for a portion of its length leading to one end of the barrel, 2. tube slidably fitted lengthwise in the barrel, 2. blade clamp comprising a pair of fiat elongated jaws one of which is fixed at onelongitudinal edge to and in longitudinal alineznent with one end of the tube, and the other jaw being pivotally .connected at one of its longitudinal edges to the fixed jaw to occupy open and closed positions with respect to the fixed jaw, said tube and blade clamp, when said jaws are closed and alined endwise with the slot, being slidable in said barrel with said jaws extending through .said slot; tongues on the inner ends of the jaws; and a projection on the outer side of the barrel at the innerend of the slot, said projection having .a recess therein at the end adjacent the slot to receive the tongues when the jaws are extended fully into the slot.

2. A device as embodied in claim 1,-wherein the projection is tapered longitudinally from its recessed end to its other end and transversely fluted.

JOHN J. IHLL.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

